The Arizona State Sun Devils take on the TCU Horned Frogs. Check out our March Madness odds series for our Arizona State TCU prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Arizona State TCU.
The Arizona State Sun Devils made quite a statement at the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. They put 98 points on the Nevada Wolf Pack and showed they deserved to be part of the NCAA Tournament. That game had a Pac-12 flavor beyond the fact that Arizona State was involved. The Sun Devils were facing former UCLA coach Steve Alford. They were also going up against Nevada guard Jarod Lucas, who formerly played at Oregon State. Clearly, the familiarity with Nevada's coach and star guard helped Arizona State play well. What also helped ASU was that Nevada has been a bad team the past few weeks.
TCU, Arizona State's upcoming opponent, doesn't figure to play poorly. This should be a substantial challenge for Arizona State as it tries to win a second game at this NCAA Tournament.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Arizona State-TCU March Madness odds.
March Madness Odds: Arizona State-TCU Odds
Arizona State Sun Devils: +5.5 (-110)
TCU Horned Frogs: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 140.5 (-115)
Under: 140.5 (-105)
How To Watch Arizona State vs. TCU
TV: TruTV
Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, fuboTV
Time: 10:05 p.m. ET, 7:05 p.m. PT
*Watch Arizona State-TCU LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Arizona State Could Cover the Spread
The Sun Devils are hitting their stride. They beat USC in the Pac-12 Tournament to make the field of 68. Then they soared and played a virtually flawless game against Nevada in the First Four to start their NCAA Tournament campaign the right way. Arizona State generally doesn't play good offense under head coach Bobby Hurley. The Sun Devils usually focus on playing tough defense and hitting the glass. When this team is knocking down shots and scoring at an above-average clip, it is very hard to beat. Arizona State won't always play well on offense, but there are signs that the Devils are riding the wave right now. If TCU can't knock ASU off that wave, this game could get very difficult for the Horned Frogs.
Why TCU Could Cover the Spread
The fact that Arizona State scored 98 points in its most recent game could be an indication that the Sun Devils are about to take off like a rocket ship, but it could also simply mean that Nevada was a toothless and impotent foe for the Sun Devils. TCU should be able to play far better defense than anything Nevada brougth to the table. TCU crushed the Kansas Jayhawks on the road in Phog Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season. TCU has battled a lot of injuries, but when the Horned Frogs are healthy, they have a high ceiling. They emerged from the cutthroat Big 12 Conference, which offers contentious battles in every single game with no easy outs. That should prepare the Frogs for the NCAA Tournament.
Arizona State will go from a soft, timid Nevada team to a relentless, hard-nosed TCU squad. ASU will not be able to adjust to the differential in toughness and the overall degree of difficulty. TCU will smother ASU as a result.
Final Arizona State-TCU Prediction & Pick
This game is TCU's to lose, and the spread is frankly small. One might have expected 7.5 or 8.5, but it's only 5.5. Take TCU.
Final Arizona State-TCU Prediction & Pick: TCU -5.5
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